He just looks the part, doesn’t he? 

England’s newest wicket-keeper Jamie Smith passes the ‘eye test’, which has for so long misled fans, journalists and selectors, with astonishing ease. He just looks like a test cricketer, oozing skill and temperament. But many an ‘eye test’ has been passed by cricketers who have gone on to disappoint at test level. James Vince averaged just 24.90 in thirteen matches despite boasting a technique straight from the MCC’s coaching manual. Somehow, though, when watching Smith you are left with the impression that he is destined for nothing other than success.

It must be noted that the statistics are also extremely favourable for Smith, who could not have wished for a stronger start to his test career. After five test innings he now averages 63.60. Like many of England’s new batting breed, he also scores at a good rate. His strike rate of 72.77 currently puts him fourth on the all-time list, behind teammates Harry Brook and Ben Duckett, and the carefree Graeme Swann.

Smith’s satisfaction after scoring his first test hundred is undoubtedly shared by Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes, and Luke Wright. The dropping of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, both fan favourites for different reasons, was a bold move. The selectors can deservedly give themselves a smug pat on the back.

It had not been a perfect performance behind the stumps from Smith, who missed a regulation stumping opportunity in the 41st over of the first innings off the bowling of Shoaib Bashir. For the first time in his test career, questions were asked about his footwork and concentration. Bashir later dismissed the reprieved Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva without the help of Smith; Dan Lawrence taking a neat catch at leg slip.

Smith’s keeping will continue to be scrutinised when England visit Pakistan in October. There, he faces the prospect of long days standing up to the stumps on turning pitches. It remains to be seen whether he can deliver consistent performances with the gloves and whether he can continue to bat so confidently, which may be of even greater importance to England’s management.

Adam Gilchrist remains the gold standard for wicket-keeper batters even sixteen and a half years after his retirement. The Australian great was not a perfect wicket-keeper himself, but his appetite for destructive run-scoring took the game away from many a hopeful opponent in a flash. England have tried to find their own Gilchrist ever since, with Prior and Bairstow impressing in patches. At last, England may have finally found the one to match Gilchrist’s daring for years to come.

Marcus Trescothick hinted this week that Smith may be included in England’s white ball squads for the visit of Australia in September, as England seek to build towards redemption at the 2027 World Cup. It may yet prove difficult for Smith to balance the white-ball and red-ball games. There are so few international cricketers playing all three formats at the highest level, and even fewer who continue to deliver on all three stages. England continue to insist that test cricket is the priority, and Smith’s workload will have to be carefully managed to ensure that that remains the case.

For now, though, let’s just enjoy watching another young England player take the game by the scruff of the neck. In the week that England commemorated the brilliant life and career of Graham Thorpe, Surrey may just have supplied England with another gem. 

Is it too early in Smith’s career to be writing articles full of superlatives? Probably. But I’m very confident that this will age well. He just looks the part.

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By Leon Parrott